With all the athletic success at North Catholic High School this school year, the Trojans baseball players were getting used to attending WPIAL title games -- they just needed a ticket to attend them.

No one was asking the Trojans for their tickets May 27 at Consol Energy Park, however, when they duplicated the feat of the school's girls' and boys' basketball teams by reaching a WPIAL title game.

"Being at North Catholic and being around the basketball teams, their run was so exciting and it brought energy," North Catholic coach Pat Walsh said.

"It motivated our guys and they were at all the [basketball teams' playoff] games and wishing it was them. That kind of pushed them; they wanted to have that excitement, too."

The Trojans had plenty of excitement in the WPIAL title game, before losing a tight, 3-2, game on a bottom-of-the-seventh-inning hit against Shady Side Academy. Five days later, the Trojans bounced back with a 9-4 win against Franklin in the first round of the PIAA Class AA tournament before losing to South Fayette, 10-3, in the quarterfinals last Thursday. North Catholic finished 18-7 overall.

Just to make the playoffs, North Catholic had to reverse its late regular-season stretch of last year where it went 1-4 in its final five section games and missed the playoffs. This season in highly competitive Section 6-AA, North Catholic was in danger of missing out on the postseason again before winning five of six to close out the regular season.

"I always said this senior class is a very talented bunch, but our section was so difficult, we didn't know who was going to make the playoffs in our section," Walsh said.

"This is the hardest working group I have had in five years coaching."

In the WPIAL playoffs North Catholic got past Burgettstown, 10-3; Beaver Area, 5-0; and Beaver Falls, 6-3, to set up the WPIAL title game against Shady Side Academy.

In the regular season North Catholic routinely scored in double figures but even with all the offensive production, Walsh points to the defensive improvement in the field as the biggest reason the Trojans doubled their win total from 9 to 18 this season.

Walsh brought assistant coach Jon Pedrosky along this season. Pedrosky was an assistant at Plum last year and had coached with Walsh when he was the head coach at Plum. Pedrosky's specialty is defense.

"The biggest difference this year was hiring coach Pedrosky," Walsh said.

"Last year we struggled fielding the ball. Our infield play this year was much improved. I thought we could pitch this season, I was worried about the fielding but they really jelled."

One of the wins that helped define this season for the Trojans was the 9-4 victory against Franklin in the first round of the playoffs only five days removed from the last-inning loss to Shady Side Academy. After taking a day off after the loss Walsh said his team struggled through two practices leading up to the PIAA playoff game.

"As a coach, I know I wasn't ready and I didn't think the players were ready," Walsh admitted.

"I really thought we were going to have a tough time. I was expecting a letdown, but in the first inning their heads were right into it and I was shocked. The fire and enjoyment they had leading up to the WPIAL title game was there. For them to bounce back like that, I give credit to the kids."

Junior Christian Woloski was the staff ace this year and figures to be the key returning starter for the Trojans next season. Pat Lytle and Matt Fedzen provided offensive punch, hitting third and fourth in the lineup where they combined for 10 home runs. Steve Koerper was one of the top RBI producers on the team despite hitting leadoff.

"I can honestly say this year our top seven hitters in the lineup batted there all year and that is something that I cannot believe I did," Walsh said.

"We did not change our top seven hitters at all. Everyone was really consistent."

Walsh will bid farewell to a senior class that was part of two WPIAL title games, winning one in 2007. Catcher Ryan Porter, third basemen Shane Callaghan, second basemen Nick Beck, pitcher/outfielder Ben Hamm along with Koerper, Mulvey and Lytle were the senior starters.